False facts

Mr. Cox is entitled to his opinion, but he is not entitled to his own self-serving set of facts. The Washington County Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) did not approve the Northern Corridor, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has properly indicated that constructing it would violate the HCP.

The Washington County Lands Bill legislation originally included approval for the northern corridor, but this provision was removed due to heavy public opposition. Utah's former U.S. senator, Bob Bennett, author of this legislation, acknowledged removal of the Northern Corridor in his Senate testimony.

Mr. Cox and other Utah politicians are pushing congressional legislation that would override existing laws and force construction of this controversial four-lane highway, thereby reneging on the county's past HCP and Lands Bill compromises. This is a blatant attempt in bad faith to serve developers, mislead the public, and sacrifice more desert tortoise habitat.